The marriage of the physical and digital worlds has unlocked limitless economic opportunities, providing a boost to productivity and propelling us into the next industrial revolution. Policymakers will need to work to keep up by removing trade barriers that could limit the global reach of the Internet of Things.
Chilean EdTech start-up, Lab4U, created apps that enable students lacking access to equipment in labs to conduct science experiments using their phones. Demand from abroad encouraged them to scale internationally.
Digital trade is a boon to consumers and businesses all over the world. But cyberspace is a Darwinian environment with predators and victims. Cyber criminals are fast and innovative. Defenders are too often slow and reactive. The risks, however, can be reduced and managed.
The scope and speed of cyber attacks show just how interconnected and fragile the infrastructure of global commerce is. It’s a vulnerability that criminals are all too eager to exploit: cybercrime is a booming international business.
Kicking-off the 2016 holiday season, Americans broke spending records on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But the big story was how people shopped – online – and increasingly using their phones not just their computers.